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Hello and happy Friday. I hope all is well with you all. Some of you I am sure are covered in snow and ice. So unexpected for this time of year. We had beautiful weather until Monday when we got buckets of rain. It continued with even more yesterday. I am in homeowner hell with all the water. (Wish I could share some with the folks in CA!) My scary cellar under the house has slowly started leaking more and more water. I have been working on drying it out and was doing great with a dehumidifier and diligence with a fan. Then on Monday it was like a little waterfall down there. :( I have been sweeping water to the drain, and worrying for days! It’s all dry now but I am on the schedule for new gutters, foundation repair evaluation, and clearly lots of expenses! And now today, my furnace isn’t working right and needs a new “gas valve” (whatever that is) that no one in the state of NC has. The repair guy told me it is related to it being too damp in the cellar (where of course the furnace is!) before I got on the ball about the water issue. So I’m going to be living in the warm upstairs for awhile. I am heading to Mom’s on Tuesday (with my cats!!) so we will be toasty for the holiday.

SInce no post is complete without some photos, here are some Fall favorites. My nasturtiums that I grew from seed love the cool weather. They have been beautiful. Also, all the leaves are amazing. A couple of the pictures are from Old Salem. The little rabbit plaque is from a wall around a house nearby. They have a whole series that are so cute.

So I have a recipe for you today. I promised grain free scones but instead I have a delicious white bean dip at the request of a church friend. I am part of a church dinner group that meets once a month. My contribution last week was a white bean dip made with lemon zest and rosemary. I served it with crackers, carrots, celery, and some rye bread cubes. It was really good and I think nice for this time of year. It is good as a dip but I have been eating the leftovers either spread on a sandwich, or alongside a big green salad. I cooked the beans from scratch. I think home cooked beans are more flavorful and they are quick to make in a pressure cooker. The recipe below just calls for beans and you can certainly used canned. White beans are quite good for you. They have loads of fiber, good protein, and don’t spike your blood sugar. Regardless, they just are tasty. You can read more about the benefits of white beans here. Before I give the recipe, here is a picture of my friend Caryn’s new puppy, Phoebe. I went up to Carrboro to meet her and her family for some shopping and brunch. They got the puppy to keep their other dog company. Once you have triplets and one dog, you might as well get another! :) Isn’t she adorable. She is actually quite shy which is a little hilarious. Those ears!

Once last thing before the recipe. I am trying to figure out what to make for Thanksgiving. It will just be 5 of us this year, and everyone has their usual favorites, but I am the odd vegetarian in the crowd. I am thinking I might make Butternut Squash with Spicy Onions. I have a kabocha squash from the Farmer’s Market so I’ll probably use that. I welcome suggestions if you have ideas!

Okay and now finally the recipe.

Rosemary-Lemon White Bean Dip

by Catherine Craig

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: none

Ingredients (2 cups)

2 cups white beans, cooked

1-3 cloves garlic

salt & pepper to taste

1/4 cup olive oil

2 teaspoons rosemary, fresh, minced

2 lemons

Instructions

1. Combine the white beans and 1 clove of garlic in a food processor. Pulse until blended. Taste and add salt and pepper, and more garlic to taste

2. With the food process running, drizzle in the olive oil and blend until the mixture is smooth.

3. Scrape the mixture into a bowl.

4. Zest the two lemons. Mix the zest and the rosemary into the bean spread. Cover and refrigerate.

5. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Serve with cubes of bread, crackers, and sliced vegetables. Also, delicious as a spread on a sandwich.

Welcome to Your Best Defense! I'm Catherine - a nurse, health coach, trained plant-based chef -trying every day to achieve health and ward off cancer and illness through delicious food and good living, So glad you stopped by to join me in my quest!